Nigeria: Global Aids Week - Coalition Seeks Tripling of Foreign Aid
By, Abimbola Akosile, This Day (Lagos), May 22, 2007
A coalition of civil society organisations have called on developed countries and rich donor nations to increase the level of its aid and support toward the fight against the scourge of HIV/AIDS, and help developing countries realise the 2015 Millennium Development Goals; as the world celebrates the global AIDS week.
As part of the activities marking the week, which runs from May 20 to May 26, the coalition in addition to observing a candle-light memorial day, called on the Federal Government and the incoming administration to guarantee Universal Access to HIV/ AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.
Working on a theme 'Free the Drugs, Stop the Death', the coalition, which comprised 17 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), associations, and movements working across the length and breath of the country in the area of HIV and AIDS, and led by ActionAid Nigeria, outlined its demands in a charter and urged relevant governments, including Nigeria, to keep their promises on adequate health services to combat the pandemic.
According to the group, in a statement by Mr. Solomon Adebayo, Reproductive Health Sexual Health Project, ActionAid, Abuja, "the Global AIDS Week of Action provides an opportunity for activists around the world to stand together, generate political pressure and demand action their leaders on best practices and strategies to combat HIV/AIDS".
"The theme for this year's Global AIDS Week of Action is 'Free the Drug. Stop the Death'. Civil Society Groups and PLWHA in the forefront of the campaign are therefore demanding that governments should keep their promises to ensure that Nigeria meets the target of Universal Access on prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010".
The coalition demanded the immediate tripling of annual HIV and AIDS spending to developing countries by the club of rich nations (G8), especially as they plan to meet in Germany to discuss the universal access goal in June 2 2007; claiming that the week of activism is critical given the grave picture of HIV and AIDS epidemic in Nigeria.
"Currently 1 in 20 Nigerians is HIV+. The 2005 Sentinel Surveillance showed that 200,000 AIDS deaths were recorded. This increased by 50% in 2006 and it is estimated that by 2010, three million Nigerians would have died of AIDS. And in a country where about one million Nigerians currently require Anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, statistics show that only 85,300, including children, are on the drugs".
The coalition insisted that adequate steps are yet to be taken to address the identified challenges and ensure that Nigeria does miss the 2010 targets. "This year, Nigeria committed 7 billion naira to HIV and AIDS initiative; this is the highest in the nation's history. However, donor agencies across the country have also committed over one billion dollars to efforts to combat HIV and AIDS".
In its Charter of demands, the coalition focused on stigma and discrimination and called for the establishment and enforcement of progressive legislation that protects the human rights of people living with HIV&AIDS at all levels e.g. national, workplace, schools, prisons, and during VCT/PMTCT interventions or following disclosure.
On access to treatment, there was a call for rapid scale up of access to comprehensive, sustainable, quality treatment, care and support for PLWHA by 2010 HIV programmes are integrated with programmes for TB and other opportunistic infections, to provide the widest access to care possible..
Among the organisations and associations that signed the charter were FAHIMTA Women and Youth Dev. Initiative, Bauchi; Kids and Teens Concern, Ondo; Youth Against Sickle Cell Disease (YOTASCID), Kafachan; Association of Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN), Abuja; Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Lagos; ChristianAid, Abuja; Community Based Organisation in 11 states; A37- Youth Advocacy group; Society for Family Health (SFH), Abuja; ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), Abuja; and Media AIDS Project (MAP), Abuja.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200705230077.html
A coalition of civil society organisations have called on developed countries and rich donor nations to increase the level of its aid and support toward the fight against the scourge of HIV/AIDS, and help developing countries realise the 2015 Millennium Development Goals; as the world celebrates the global AIDS week.
As part of the activities marking the week, which runs from May 20 to May 26, the coalition in addition to observing a candle-light memorial day, called on the Federal Government and the incoming administration to guarantee Universal Access to HIV/ AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.
Working on a theme 'Free the Drugs, Stop the Death', the coalition, which comprised 17 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), associations, and movements working across the length and breath of the country in the area of HIV and AIDS, and led by ActionAid Nigeria, outlined its demands in a charter and urged relevant governments, including Nigeria, to keep their promises on adequate health services to combat the pandemic.
According to the group, in a statement by Mr. Solomon Adebayo, Reproductive Health Sexual Health Project, ActionAid, Abuja, "the Global AIDS Week of Action provides an opportunity for activists around the world to stand together, generate political pressure and demand action their leaders on best practices and strategies to combat HIV/AIDS".
"The theme for this year's Global AIDS Week of Action is 'Free the Drug. Stop the Death'. Civil Society Groups and PLWHA in the forefront of the campaign are therefore demanding that governments should keep their promises to ensure that Nigeria meets the target of Universal Access on prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010".
The coalition demanded the immediate tripling of annual HIV and AIDS spending to developing countries by the club of rich nations (G8), especially as they plan to meet in Germany to discuss the universal access goal in June 2 2007; claiming that the week of activism is critical given the grave picture of HIV and AIDS epidemic in Nigeria.
"Currently 1 in 20 Nigerians is HIV+. The 2005 Sentinel Surveillance showed that 200,000 AIDS deaths were recorded. This increased by 50% in 2006 and it is estimated that by 2010, three million Nigerians would have died of AIDS. And in a country where about one million Nigerians currently require Anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, statistics show that only 85,300, including children, are on the drugs".
The coalition insisted that adequate steps are yet to be taken to address the identified challenges and ensure that Nigeria does miss the 2010 targets. "This year, Nigeria committed 7 billion naira to HIV and AIDS initiative; this is the highest in the nation's history. However, donor agencies across the country have also committed over one billion dollars to efforts to combat HIV and AIDS".
In its Charter of demands, the coalition focused on stigma and discrimination and called for the establishment and enforcement of progressive legislation that protects the human rights of people living with HIV&AIDS at all levels e.g. national, workplace, schools, prisons, and during VCT/PMTCT interventions or following disclosure.
On access to treatment, there was a call for rapid scale up of access to comprehensive, sustainable, quality treatment, care and support for PLWHA by 2010 HIV programmes are integrated with programmes for TB and other opportunistic infections, to provide the widest access to care possible..
Among the organisations and associations that signed the charter were FAHIMTA Women and Youth Dev. Initiative, Bauchi; Kids and Teens Concern, Ondo; Youth Against Sickle Cell Disease (YOTASCID), Kafachan; Association of Women Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (ASWHAN), Abuja; Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Lagos; ChristianAid, Abuja; Community Based Organisation in 11 states; A37- Youth Advocacy group; Society for Family Health (SFH), Abuja; ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), Abuja; and Media AIDS Project (MAP), Abuja.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200705230077.html
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 10:25 am
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